


Under the Backstage Lights

by ScarletRain1409



Category: Beastars
Genre: Acting, Actors, Dancing, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hanging Out, Kissing, Reader-Insert, Romance, practicing, private lessons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23293552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletRain1409/pseuds/ScarletRain1409
Summary: Somehow you managed to land one of the leading roles in the Drama club's monthly plays. You can't help, but be nervous acting with Cherryton's rising star, Louis. To get your act together, Louis has private practice with you in Haru's hut. Acting is the only thing that blossoms between you two.
Relationships: LouisxReader, LouisxReader(Female), LouisxReader(Gender neutral), LouisxReader(Male)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 88





	Under the Backstage Lights

**Author's Note:**

> Slight Spoilers on the name of Louis' fiancé' name, but other than that no spoilers on the plot
> 
> This was a great commission.

Louis always brought out the art in acting. Every expression and gesture on stage was magnificent, bewitching all those who saw him on stage. Louis just didn't act like the character; he was him, as if the protagonist in a paper script, stepped on stage. He inspired you to pursue your passion.

Louis was practicing with you in the gym on an upcoming play, long after the rest of the drama club left. Somehow you managed to acquire a lead role, the love interest of Louis.

" Don't put your arms like that! It's a tragedy, not a musical." Louis exasperatedly sighed as you read out a line. 

You listened to his criticism and settled for biting into clenched fist into your mouth, as if suppressing grief. Somehow he was still mesmerising, even when exhausted and coated with sweat. 

" That's better. Now once more from the top. This scene is crucial. It's what spurs Baker on the path of revenge." Louis stretched his sore arms out. 

It was overwhelming to be alone with the Cherryton's star and you couldn't perform as well as you could have. Frustration builds in your chest at your tedious nervousness, degrading your acting. But you couldn't help yourself. Up close, Louis's intensity bore into you, as if you could sink into his dark brown eyes and never return from the abyss. 

After the scene, Louis wipes his forehead with am agitated palm. His ears flicked a bit, a gesture which seemed oddly endearing and real. He was an animal just like everyone else.

" Your acting is impressive and you memorised every line well, but you're not working at your utmost potential. You're fumbling." Louis broke the silence.

" Sorry...I'm just feeling a bit shaky since it's my first time in such a big production ." 

" That's no excuse during practice. Let's practice during the break tomorrow." Louis crossed his arms over his chest.

He left no room for objection as he packed his bag. That imperative tone was clear enough. You groaned internally at your loss of free time between lessons.  
Louis notices your apprehension and puts his hand on your shoulder. His palm was firm, yet undeniably soft. 

"Don't worry. With enough practice, anyone can improve" 

His voice was incredibly confident yet an undertone of gentleness. Then he struts away, leaving you speechless and weak kneed. 

***

The play was a monthly production, not as important as the opening ceremony or the meteor festival, but both outsiders and students were still attending. Still quite nerve-wrecking. 

The plot was about a righteous police officer lured into the underbelly of society, rescuing those who have fallen, and commits double suicide when his lover, a baker, heinously kills the murdered who had slain his/her/their firstborn.  
Louis was obviously the officer. He decided that the extra practice between lessons should take place in Haru's garden hut.  
The flora scent sweetened the air. Bags of fertilisers sat in the corners, like dirt filled pillows. Not only was it a free, mostly vacant area, but it was cozy, able to soothe even the fried nerves of a caffeinated squirrel. 

You stirred an invisible mixture of dough in a faded red bowl borrowed from the cooking club, up to your chest.

Then Louis turns the knob. He looked tired with his hunched shoulders and weak gait, and his eyes softened as he saw your turned head, like a love-sick husband glad to return to his beloved. He was supposed to for the scene. You knew it was all an act, but you couldn't help, but melt in under his warm graze. 

" I'm home." Louis sits on the wooden chair.

" I can see that." You laugh, supposed to sound endearing, but comes out as a nervous.

Wordlessly you set up his imagined meal, on a plate and napkin on the chipped wooden table. You were arranging the cutlery, when he placed his palm against yours. 

" Sorry, but I'm not in the mood...There's something I have to tell you." He stares at you with guilt.

" If you have something to say then say it." You move away, from his grasp.

He looks down, biting his lips and you couldn't help watch his mouth. Then he takes both of your hands gently, dragging you to the centre of the room. He mimicked clicking the needle of the music recorder at the corner of of the room.

" After a dance." He clutched your hands, 

It was nothing, but a simple waltz. His chest was warm against yours as he swayed you around. His hand travelled to the base of your shoulder blades. No music, but the clanking of their shoes flittered the air. Lead seemed to fill your legs. To be this close to him was overstimulating, like handling a cup of ice while walking on a tightrope of electricity.  
You saw the pure elation lit his eyes and the quirk of his lips and wondered how much of this was he acting. 

" I killed somebody today." Louis interjects.

The two of you keep on dancing and for a moment you forgot your lines, but fortunately remember it instantly. 

" You're an officer. Death's just a part of life, honey." You shrug.

" I know. I know that..."

He twirled you around. 

You continued the scene, the warm glint in his eyes burned to your memory.  
***  
The more you danced with him, the more fluid your movements were and the natural you were in his presence. Louis also noticed this and just spent the remainder of the time, just swaying you across the room. No music, but sometimes you played a jazz number on your phone to spice up the routine. 

" I didn't know you liked to dance senpai." You glided your feet in accordance to his.

He just smiled enigmatically.

" There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

You could feel the lonely tremor in his words.

***

Nowadays they weren't just practicing their lines, but just chatting about in Haru's hut. In between breaks, the two of you discussed about other plays or the latest rumours in school. Louis may not have been much of a gossip, but that didn't mean he wasn't interested. Whether he liked to admit or not, he always kept an ear on the hushed mutters of his classmates. He liked to be updated he said.

The two of you were sitting side by side on the tiny cot, legs almost touching, talking about. You were barefoot and Louis had loosened his tie, but didn't bother removing his shoes. Carrot cookies Haru baked were shared between the two of you. You wondered how you could get so comfy with him. Perhaps it was the numerous sessions. 

" She's going to get mad you know,"You deadpanned." Spilling crumbs all over the bed." 

He just shrugged," She's the one who gave them to us. Plus I don't think she's pay much attention to a few crumbs when she's using this." 

You huffed, nibbling on the brown, sugary delight. Between all the practice and school work, Haru grew on to you. Sometimes you would help her around the almost abandoned gardening club.

" Why don't you were take off your shoes?" You asked.

Louis stiffens slightly, his ears slightly lowered before resuming its careless demeanour. 

" It's a bother to tie them up again."

***

One afternoon, Haru convinced the both of you to help out during practice. She was giving up her private domain for the both of you, after all, the least the both of you could do was help around a bit. 

"Louis. If it's too heavy you could just let go, you know." Haru observed Louis' trembling arms," You could help me with the trimming."

Louis was hauling his third bag of fertiliser from the hut to the outside, his face slightly red with exertion and childish stubbornness. Unfortunately, Haru's wheelbarrow decided to break. 

" I can carry this much." He huffed defensively.

Of course he could, but continuously picking up bags that weighed a hundred bricks would strain anybody.  
For a moment Haru and you just took in Louis' determined face and stance, silently chuckling to yourselves. It was a shared secret between the two of you that Louis had such a childish side to him. 

" Let me help." You support the other end of the bag. 

" I don't need your help. I was handling this perfectly." He argued.

Louis had so many layers and you were blissfully and ignorantly, unfurling each one of them. 

***

Louis had a sense of humour. You thought, along with most of the student body, he didn't have a sense of humour. He did, but it the twisted and dark type, one wouldn't expect to come from the future Beastar. 

" If I had handcuffs would you like to be chained up?" He causally asks while flipping through some notes. 

Apparently he had a class test next period and was just brushing up.

You coughed on your milk, blood rushing to your face. " What? Um... Why so suddenly?" 

He just shrugged," I thought was funny in my head. I'm a police officer after all. It would be pretty fitting for me to have them and use them on you." 

You just threw a pillow at his way. 

***

When he removed his socks, you saw the mark. The black ink spread across the underside of his foot, as if clinging onto it him like a demonic caterpillar.

You stared, lost for words. The tension was thick in the air, a wedge of hardened honey wax, you could practically taste on your dry tongue. Louis uncurled and curled his toes. He gazes at you, in expectation, waiting for a reaction. He sighs, almost in shame, as of revealing a dirty secret.

You had a faint idea of what it was and you hated the implications.

" This is..." You trailed off.

" My curse." Louis bitterly smiles," I was livestock in the back alley market, until my father bought me. This is my product number you could say..." 

You let his heavy confession sink in your heart. Then he tells you everything. The trials he faced in that Hellhole and the pressures and expectations weighing on him now, were revealed to you. Your heart clenched at his words, wishing someone, anyone was there to change history. Louis just grew stronger in your eyes, which didn't seem possible. Why

When he was done, averting his eyes, away from yours, you embraced him, minding his antlers. His heart pressed against yours, a steady drum beat. Your arms wrapped around his soft, warm back, as if trying to squeeze all the pain out of locked in his hardened, scarred heart. He was shocked, confused with how to respond. His arms hovered over awkwardly.

" Louis. This might be your curse, but nobody said you can't get rid of it." You held him tighter.

Finally he placed his arms on you, his fur bristling your school uniform. 

***

" Why don't you talk to me anymore!"  
You wept into your cupped hands.

Louis leans further into his scene, in remorse. 

This scene involved a particular intense lover's quarrel. 

" You...Is it because you think of yourself as a mistake!" You accuse, pacing around the hut." You're endangering yourself if you continue getting involved with those...those hooligans! You're just helping them just to prove your worth, aren't you?" 

A chord struck within Louis, as if slapped with a molten frying pan. 

" And what if I do? What I do is non of your business!" He stood up, marching up to you, just centimetres away from you.

You weakened, under his graze, like the skit demanded. It was an ordinary scene, but the utter intensity was real. Both of you can get so carried away, sometimes forgetting the school bell and bunking 4th period.

" It matters to me.." You whispered.

" What was that?"

You faced him, defiance plastered onto your features. 

" It matters to me!" You answered in a higher volume.

" Why!"

" Because I love you!" You shouted, from the script.

Then both of did something, definitely not from the script. 

The two of you kissed. His lips were warm against yours, as time stilled.  
Both of you stop, just to stare in shock. No one knows who started the kiss, but none of you cared Within a millisecond, the kiss resumed. He wrapped his arms over your waist. You could feel his warmth radiating from him. He gently raced the inside of your mouth, almost like a silent prayer.

This was what a star must have tasted like.  
***  
After solidly dating Louis for two weeks, you insisted on meeting his fiancé. His eyes bulged from his sockets when he heard your request. 

He was beginning to regret agreeing to you. But you wanted to see your opponent. Backing down was never an option. So Louis arranged the faithful meeting in a chic cafe. You arrived with Louis, as if ready for war to fling its hardships. You've never seen Louis so distressed. It was quite amusing actually. 

She was an elusively sitting on a cafe table, window gazing. A beautiful deer she was, no doubt. That only slightly deterred your confidence.

" Hello Azuki! This is my friend." He gestured to you. 

He planned this meeting, mostly on the basis on introducing Azuki to his friends.

" A special friend." You offered your hand." My name is 'insert your name'" 

" Pleasure to meet you." She greeted icily. 

The three of you took a seat, flipping though the sleek menu. She stared at you, already aware of your true relationship with Louis, and you looked back. Louis gulped, as if caught in the middle of an upcoming cat-fight breaking out. 

"What would you like to order? " An intuitive eagle cooed.

" Two vegetable soups with lentils." Louis grateful supplied.

" And one regular salad with almonds." Azuki orders for Louis.

" He prefers walnuts." You correct.

" Is that so." Azuki directs her gaze at Louis.

He shrinks a bit, but truthfully replies, with all dignity he could muster," Yes it is." 

" Then change it to walnuts."

" Of course ma'am." The waiter scurries away.

Triumph inflates in your chest as you hear the note of distaste in her voice.

Louis and Azuki converse and listen minutely. She was a pleasant and straightforward gal. But she was no threat. Just by hearing them talk, you were certain she stood no chance. Louis was acting, putting up a facade just like with most. Except for you. She would never be able to see the real Louis and know how brilliant he actually was. 

You noticed the slight envy in her eyes. Both of you knew who won. 

Even she had the wedding ring, you had his heart

***

The play was a success. After the applause, the curtains drawn, Louis clutched your hand and took you backstage, when everyone left. 

" You did wonderful." He complimented. 

You leaned against his chest.

" You did too, but you need me telling you that." You giggle, still giddy from the play. 

" Can we still, meet up?" Louis asked tentatively. 

You smiled to yourself. It still touched you when he showed some slight sign of hesitation. At times it reminded you, he was just a teenager, barely an adult. 

" Of course. I was going do that, even if you didn't ask." 

He patted your head in endearment. Then he kissed you under the dim backstage lights. You wrung your arms over his police uniform, relishing the sensation. 

Two stars embraced each other under the backstage light.


End file.
